Parsley sage rosemary & thyme: they’re what’s for dinner (oh, and this chicken)

 

You’d think that a single 52 year old man like myself would know how to cook a chicken—but I don’t.  Oh, I’ve done some things with a boneless, skinless chicken breast but actual chicken parts?  Bone-in pieces of skin, drumsticks and thighs?  When it comes to such parts, I’m more chicken than they are.

But a couple days ago when I was at the market, Kuhn’s had a display of “Amish Chicken, Pick of the Chic’ Paks”—two breasts, 2 thighs & 2 legs for $4.99, and I knew it was too good a deal to pass up.  (Besides, I was craving a good, old-fashioned roast chicken dinner, the kind that didn’t come out of a KFC bucket or from a Hungry Man Frozen Chicken dinner box.) 

FYI, if you’re any type of cook—go ahead, roll your eyes!  But for guys like myself who have never done this sort of thing, have patience—there’s a first time for everything y’know!

ApacheDug’s Herbalicious Roast Chicken & Potatoes 

Assemble these ingredients:

• 3 lb. pack of assorted chicken parts (wirh skin)
• 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Morton Sea Salt
• 2 tablespoons Italian Seasoning
• 1-2 potatoes
• 1 onion
• 1 green pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Chop up the potato, onion and green pepper into one inch chunks.  (I left the skin on the potatoes.)  Get a large glass bowl (I used my Pasta Serving bowl from IKEA) and throw in the chicken parts, chopped potatoes, onion & green pepper.   

3. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil over everything, then cover the top with something, I used Cling-Wrap.  (My Cling-Wrap is red, because it’s Holiday Cling-Wrap that was on sale in the Clearance bin for 50% off!) 

Once it’s on there good & tight, shake that bowl up and down to ensure everything has a light coating of oil.

4.  Peel back the Cling-Wrap, sprinkle everything with one teaspoon of Sea Salt & the 1-2 tablespoons of dried Italian seasoning.  Close it back up, toss it up & down some more to ensure everything is flecked with the herbs.

5.  Line a metal baking pan with tin-foil (I used the Heavy Duty foil, but I still had to wash the pan afterwards, dammit).  Spray it with Pan Oilive Oil Cooking Spray. 

Place the chicken (skin side down) in one half of the pan, and the vegetables in the other half. 

6.  Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 425F.  Turn over the chicken parts, stir the chopped veggies & pop it back in the oven for another 20-25 minutes.   (I only used 1/2 bell pepper, but next time I’ll use a whole one—those roasted pepper chunks are good!)

That’s all there is to it--why didn’t I do this sooner!